10 Worst Auto Industry Events of the 2000’s
We gave you our favorite tidbits concerning the past decade of auto industry success – now have a look back at the most disappointing happenings from 2000 – 2010. Just when you thought “ok, I’m safe from the top 10 best of lists of the 2000′s” you were only partially correct. It’s been a bad 10 years for America’s car companies, vehicle owners and everyone in between. We take a look back at some of Automopedia’s least favorite memories before we make it into 2010.
10. Gas Crisis 2.0
Those alive during the late 70′s hoped for no second gasoline crisis in The United States. Well, we did have one, of sorts. Drivers were capable of getting gas, but only if they were willing to pay. Prices soared upwards of $5, $6 and even $8 a gallon in some regions of America. And cost never went back down to quite what it once was – which means someone is still getting filthy rich.
9. Hummer H2 & H3
Yes, Hummer’s H2 was on our Best of the Decade list, but now it and sister car H3 are on our bottom 10. It was a shock when H2 made it onto dealer lots in the early 2000′s – and even more of a shock when H3 came out. Sure, it’s smaller than its predecessors, but gas mileage still ranks low for other SUV’s in the same class. Oh yeah, and even though Hummer is no longer an American make they’re still coming out with an H4…and H5. Yikes.
8. The Chevy Volt Dancers
I know this is recent, but come on – really GM?! One of what feels likes dozens of Chevrolet Volt reveals included a very, VERY poorly choreographed dance sequence, which has popped up all over the web and even Fox News/Good Morning America. Trust us, it’s bad enough to make it onto our list. They say there is no such thing as bad PR…
7. Dodge Challenger/Charger
Following the rebirth of Ford’s Mustang and a nostalgic turn in automotive design, Dodge, which totally dropped the ball when rebooting Charger, decided to revamp Challenger. Chrysler did good on design this time around, giving a 21st Century look to the 70′s muscle classic. Under the hood, however, you won’t get anything greater then a V6 or sloppy V8 from the local Dodge dealer. Anyone who wants a full package of speed/horse power needs to pay (a lot) extra for upgrades from Hurst, Shelby, etc.
6. Ending of America’s Auto Industry
Chrysler is now owned by Italian car maker Fiat – GM slashed most of its brands, and Ford is…well it’s still Ford. But they get away by the skin of their teeth – Pontiac, Saturn, and many others were not so fortunate.
5. Dealership Closures
Between 2008 and 2009 over 1000 car dealerships closed their doors in North America. Chrysler Dodge Jeep alone went with 789 closures, cutting tens of thousands of jobs. It was fallout from, well everything – the Big Three going down, no one buying cars, companies making cars no one wanted. It was a vicious cycle, that’s left many unemployed.
4. Rise of the SUV
It started in the 1990′s and continued well into 2000′s – Sport Utility Vehicles kept getting bigger and less fuel efficient. Ford brought us Excursion (pictured above, in a tripped out format), Jeep kept making oddly shaped off-road vehicles that college frat boys had their parents buy for ‘em. Once the Hybrid age came about, however, ‘Merica’s fascination waned on the SUV…well except in the Midwest.
3. Layoffs & Plant Closures
For ages, it was the working class who suffered from company buyouts and closures. It was witnessed over the past decade at dealership lots and even on the assembly line. Factories throughout the Rust Belt & East Coast saw vast reductions in manpower. But even the big wigs were not safe. Our public wanted blood from the highest level. Power players were making millions, even billions one day, running powerful automotive makers, and almost homeless the next.
2. PT Cruiser – Immortal Edition
When the PT Cruiser originally reared it’s ugly front end people cringed. The first time Chrysler said PT would be no more, everyone rejoiced! Then the second time they tried killing it, we were skeptical. And now it remains – PT Cruiser made it, with almost no design upgrade, through this past decade. I bet Chrysler’s PT Cruiser is immortal, and has inside it blood of kings (yeah!).
1. The Chevy Volt
GM’s great experiment, The Chevy Volt. Promoted as America’s All-Electric Vehicle. The Volt was a doll at car shows World Wide. But Chevrolet couldn’t get past the hype. Volt was finally revealed in a less than exciting form, looking like an updated Cobalt. It went from being dubbed all-electric to hybrid gasoline-electric. And now it still seems like a crap shoot if Volt will become popular enough to produce. You can have the regular internal combustion engine variant, Chevy Cruze, in 2010. I get the feeling Cruze will make it onto a similar list by 2019. Happy New Year!!
Dec 28th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
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